Transcript Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication

CHAPTER 2
Planning
Business
Messages
Student Version
© 2010 Thomson South-Western
The best business writing is
 Purposeful
 Persuasive
 Economical
 Audience oriented
Following a process can make you
a better writer or speaker.
Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e
Chapter 2, Slide 2
Approximately how much time should
be spent at each stage?
Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e
Chapter 2, Slide 3
Analyzing Your Purpose
and Channel
Identify your purpose.
 Why are you writing?
 What do you hope to achieve?
Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e
Chapter 2, Slide 4
Select the best channel.
E-mail
Telephone
Fax
Voice mail
Letter
Meeting
Memo
Conversation
Report
Web site
Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e
Chapter 2, Slide 5
Select the best channel.
 How important is the message?
 How fast do you need feedback?
 Is a permanent record essential?
 What is the cost of the channel?
 How much formality do you desire?
 How confidential or sensitive is the
message?
Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e
Chapter 2, Slide 6
Profiling the Audience
Primary Audience
 Who is the primary reader?
 What are my personal and professional
relationships with that person?
 What does the person know about the
subject?
 What kind of response should I expect?
Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e
Chapter 2, Slide 7
Profiling the Audience
Secondary Audience
 Who else might see or hear this
message?
 Are they different from the primary
audience?
 How must I reshape the message for
the secondary audience?
Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e
Chapter 2, Slide 8
Spotlight Audience Benefits
Focus your statements on the audience,
not the sender.
Instead of this:
Try this:
We are promoting a
new hospitalization
plan that we believe
has many outstanding
benefits.
You will enjoy total peace
of mind with our
affordable hospitalization
plan that meets all your
needs.
Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e
Chapter 2, Slide 9
Develop a “You” View
Emphasize second-person pronouns
(you/your) instead of first-person pronouns
(I/we, us, our)
Instead of this:
Try this:
Before we can allow you to
purchase items on this new
account, we must wait two
weeks to verify your credit.
You may begin
making purchases
on your new account
in two weeks.
Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e
Chapter 2, Slide 10
Conversational Language
Instead of this:
Try this:
The undersigned takes
pleasure in . . .
I’m happy to . . .
It may be of some concern
to you to learn that your
check has been received
and your account has been
credited for $250.
We’ve credited your
account for $250.
Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e
Chapter 2, Slide 11
Positive Language
Instead of this:
Try this:
Employees may not use Employees may use the
the First Street entrance Market Street entrance
during remodeling.
during remodeling.
We cannot fill your order We can fill your order
until we receive an exact once we receive an
exact model number.
model number.
Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e
Chapter 2, Slide 12
Inclusive Language
Instead of this:
Try this:
Have you called a
salesman?
Have you called a
salesperson?
Every executive
has his own office.
 All executives have their own
offices.
 Every executive has an office.
 All executives have offices.
 Every executive has his or
her own office.
This alternative is
wordy and calls
attention to itself
Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e
Chapter 2, Slide 13
Plain Language
Avoid federalese, bureaucratese, and inflated
language.
Federalese: Each person to whom the request is herein
addressed is henceforth solicited to submit, or to have his or
her department representative submit, to the Department of
Labor official described above, a comment on whether the
proposed plan, in his or her considered view, meets the
requirements of the 2003 law.
Simple Translation: You may wish to comment on whether
the proposed plan meets the requirements of the 2003 law.
Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e
Chapter 2, Slide 14
Courteous Language
Avoid sounding demanding, preachy, or rude.
Instead of this:
Try this:
You must complete this
research by June 1.
Will you please complete
this research by June 1.
I am sick and tired of
being the only one who
removes jammed paper
from the copier!
Let me show you how to
remove jammed paper
so that you can
complete your copying.
Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e
Chapter 2, Slide 15